Poppy Hills Golf Course

About
Located on the famed 17-mile-Drive, Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach was the first course in the United States to be owned and operated by an amateur golf association, the Northern California Golf Association. Originally opened in 1986 and designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.,Poppy Hills is a challenging, par-71 venue that weaves through the Del Monte Forest and has played host to several renowned tournaments, including the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am from 1991-2009. In 2014, it received an extensive, $10 million renovation by RTJ Jr. The project was first and foremost aimed to improve environmental responsibility, and cut water consumption by reducing the amount of irrigated turf -- about 60 acres -- while also extending the layout to over 7,000 yards. From a playability perspective, all the rough was removed and doglegs were softened. The course was awarded "Best Renovation" that year by all four major golf publications.
Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
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IV | 71 | 6806 yards | 73.0 | 140 |
IV (W) | 71 | 6806 yards | 78.5 | 146 |
III | 71 | 6400 yards | 71.2 | 135 |
III (W) | 71 | 6400 yards | 76.3 | 142 |
II | 71 | 5901 yards | 68.6 | 131 |
II (W) | 71 | 5901 yards | 73.7 | 135 |
I | 71 | 5215 yards | 66.0 | 125 |
I (W) | 71 | 5215 yards | 70.1 | 125 |
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 poppy W: 80.3/150 | 527 | 161 | 421 | 399 | 385 | 223 | 444 | 179 | 515 | 3254 | 443 | 202 | 447 | 629 | 478 | 185 | 414 | 415 | 535 | 3748 | 7002 |
Jones tee M: 74.4/144 | 527 | 161 | 421 | 399 | 385 | 223 | 444 | 179 | 515 | 3254 | 443 | 202 | 447 | 629 | 478 | 185 | 414 | 415 | 535 | 3748 | 7002 |
Tee IV M: 73.0/140 W: 78.5/146 | 514 | 148 | 410 | 390 | 369 | 200 | 430 | 170 | 503 | 3134 | 416 | 189 | 431 | 572 | 439 | 175 | 400 | 397 | 519 | 3538 | 6672 |
Tee III M: 71.2/135 W: 76.3/142 | 489 | 132 | 390 | 373 | 356 | 188 | 415 | 152 | 479 | 2974 | 387 | 163 | 397 | 550 | 421 | 163 | 382 | 374 | 488 | 3325 | 6299 |
Tee II M: 68.6/131 W: 73.7/135 | 458 | 118 | 370 | 346 | 322 | 160 | 389 | 127 | 447 | 2737 | 375 | 140 | 358 | 515 | 357 | 141 | 354 | 348 | 474 | 3062 | 5799 |
Tee I M: 66.0/125 W: 70.1/125 | 421 | 99 | 351 | 302 | 291 | 141 | 375 | 121 | 414 | 2515 | 306 | 118 | 252 | 480 | 333 | 123 | 333 | 326 | 429 | 2700 | 5215 |
Handicap | 5 | 15 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 1 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 10 | |||
Par | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 35 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 71 |
Handicap (W) | 7 | 17 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 1 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 8 | 18 | 10 | 12 | 4 |
Course Details
Rentals/Services
Practice/Instruction
Policies
Food & Beverage
Bar, RestaurantAvailable Facilities
Clubhouse, Conference Facilities, Banquet FacilitiesAccolades
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Golf Advisor: Top Courses in California (2017 #22)
Reviews
Reviewer Photos
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Photo submitted by u7326787 on 10/26/2020
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Photo submitted by u176601787 on 10/15/2020
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Photo submitted by u176601787 on 10/15/2020
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Photo submitted by u176601787 on 10/15/2020
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Photo submitted by u176601787 on 10/15/2020
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Photo submitted by u176601787 on 10/15/2020
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Photo submitted by Sunti88 on 09/03/2020
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Photo submitted by Sunti88 on 09/03/2020
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Beautiful day for golf. Photo submitted by RGEF1E85B2FFDD1659B9 on 07/07/2020
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Photo submitted by caryswindle1 on 12/03/2019
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Hole #12 Photo submitted by Johnmaino on 01/15/2019
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Starting Clock Photo submitted by Johnmaino on 01/15/2019
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Deer crossing on Hole #3 Photo submitted by Johnmaino on 01/15/2019
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Pano of #9 green #10 Tee and #18 Green Photo submitted by Johnmaino on 01/15/2019
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Hole #6 Photo submitted by Johnmaino on 01/15/2019
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Hole #3 Photo submitted by Johnmaino on 01/15/2019
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Sunset on the back 9. Photo submitted by RobSlice on 10/27/2015
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The 10th is the start of what Jones refers to as his "Amen Corner." Photo submitted by MattGinellaGA on 03/29/2014
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The 11th is shorter than it looks from the tee box. Photo submitted by MattGinellaGA on 03/29/2014
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The 18th green from the back deck of Poppy's new clubhouse. Photo submitted by MattGinellaGA on 03/29/2014
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From opening day at the new Poppy Hills Photo submitted by MikeBaileyGolf on 03/20/2014
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Tom on the tee at Poppy Hills Photo submitted by thusseyusmc on 11/14/2012
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First hole from the tips Photo submitted by Highflyerfund on 10/20/2012
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lots of protection around the greens Photo submitted by Highflyerfund on 10/20/2012
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10th hole, good down hill par 5, birdie opportunity Photo submitted by bhoggjr on 10/04/2012
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18th from club house, great finishing hole Photo submitted by bhoggjr on 10/04/2012
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Spectators Photo submitted by bhoggjr on 10/04/2012
Tertble pro shop
Poppy is still 3 great course to play, but the staff at the pro shop give the impression that they are doing you a favor by letting you play the course if you booked through Golfnow, maybe if you pay the rack rate they would be courteous. Sad, terrible service, but a really good course.
Some of the best grass around
Love hitting off the fairways here, so smooth the club cuts through like butter. Extremely well maintained, beautiful golf course. Would play here all the time if I lived just a little closer.
Winter play
Wonderful round of golf. All staff were top notch. The course was well kept and in great condition. It was a great day!
front 9 went well. seemed like a foursome cut in front of our foursome on the back nine and slowed the pace to a crawl , the ladies behind us left because it was too slow.
COVID Restriction enforcement??
Very disappointed in how course enforced COVID guidelines. Shut down Clubhouse yet would not allow me to ride alone in my cart despite charging each rider $25 for the cart. I don't have a problem with the fees just find it ridiculous that I was forced to ride with another player despite 6 foot social distancing signs posted throughout the course. Think this decision is more revenue based and done so with complete disregard for the players safety.
Slow play - wow!
Played front 9 in 2-1/2 hours. Played 10-13 in 2-1/2 hours at which time I gave up. Group in front of me also left and 2 people playing in my foursome also gave up. On way back to clubhouse, saw foursome holding everything up with empty holes in front of them. No marshalls. I did talk to a marshall halfway through the front 9 who advised “whole course was jammed up”. I hesitate to play here again after this.
Terrible Experience -
This was by far the most poorly managed and run golf course I've ever been to. The people who work here clearly have an inferiority complex with some of the other courses in this area. Rude staff, no customer service or appreciation... they won't even let a solo rider take a golf cart (during COVID-19).... they force you to ride with another person in your golf cart, clearly violating the CDC rules and California guidelines for COVID-19. They even had signage which said "only 1 person per golf cart".... but for some bizarre reason they refused to adhere to their own signage and force you to jam into a cart with another person.. . The funniest part, there was no one else even playing the course and the golf carts were lined up like it was an abandoned muni course... I guess all of the other golfers in the area have learned their lesson as well and avoid this place at all costs. Do yourself a favor and go play some other great courses in the area at the same price point (with very friendly staff) like Carmel Valley Ranch and Quail Lodge.
Poppy for your habit
Great time to come and golf In Carmel area
The weather still good and the greens are rolling well and the fairways are in great condition
Pinehurst meets Augusta!
After playing this course for the first time all I can say is wow! The Layout is fantastic, Course conditions are great, and the greens are fun with huge undulations. No rough, except for near the bunkers, means you can get away with some errors off the tee, but your irons and wedges need to be dialed in, as the greens are a great challenge. Fairways are wide and sloping, but tend to narrow down to try to discourage from simply hitting bombs all day. There are several holes that offer risk-reward from the tee where carrying certain bunkers or hills can result in getting an extra 30-50 yards of roll. Pay attention to the pin position and the shape of the greens, as simply hitting the middle of the green might leave a slippery putt that can easily end in frustration as it runs off the green. Several holes have slopes to the side of the green that you can use to run the ball towards the hole, depending on the hole location. I found most bunkers to be a decent miss, as they were in great condition with consistently soft sand that made them easy to play out of, so long as you aren't plugged.
Something that can't be quantified is the atmosphere at Poppy Hills. I found myself at peace as I meandered through the course, masterfully woven into the transcendent Del Monte Forest. With the quiet of the forest and the company of resident deer, I felt like I was in another world as I watched the shadows slowly dance their way lower and lower until I teed off on 18 in near darkness. After not finding my approach to the green and I guessed where I thought it went and gave myself a free drop. I chipped onto the green and two putted to finish with par and said out loud to my audience of nobody "Wow, what a great course".
It Was Fine - Had Fun
My friend brought me here, and we had a great time. This was a very playable course; nothing overly difficult at all.
Customer service was a Little strange. We had to ask for things that I really wouldn’t have expected. For example, we had to ask for a scorecard, and then after being given the card, we had to ask for a pencil. For the cost, I would think that we’d be provided what we need. At a minimum, they should ask if we’d like a card. We weren’t told anything about what amenities were and were not available, how to get over to the first hole (because we didn’t have a map/layout), etc.
Another strange issue was that they decided to put some kind of foam on the course the morning we played. There were hundreds of small white [foam] spots throughout the course, and it was almost impossible to see where our balls were landing. I get that they have to maintain the course, but it was an inconvenience for us on that morning. It wouldn’t keep me from going back.
I’ve payed less money for nicer courses, but was happy to play here. If you haven’t played here, definitely try it once.
Cart Fee Insanity
Look, the course layout is great. But the greens were punched a week ago and they charge $25 per bag on the cart on top of the greens fee. $50 for one cart is utter insanity. Full price 1 week post aeration too. Feel quite a bit ripped off on that front.
Fairways were in spectacular shape. Greens still quite bumpy. Will be back again and will probably walk the course like I usually do. Not my favorite course, but still quite decent.
Great course poor service.
Our group took our annual Pebble Beach trip. We played Pebble twice, Spyglass, and Poppy. Treated like kings at Pebble and Spyglass. Poppy Hills a different story. First thing we noticed when arriving was another player arguing with staff about the range being closed. No problem for us, we just played 18 at Pebble. They were very short with this customer and he left very upset. The clubhouse was closed, they said because of Covid. Pebble and Spyglass were completely open. They made everyone double up on carts, not Pebble and Spyglass. The greens were sanded and never mentioned it. We can all deal with these things, but the attitude of all the employees was terrible!!!! Thats why this poor review.